A rare treat for us — a genuine piece of art jewelry from the Arts and Crafts Movement! The Arts and Crafts Movement, in short, celebrated the craftsman over what came of the industrial revolution — manufactured goods that these artists believed were uninspired, and far removed from the beauty of the natural world. The artists of this era truly believed everyone should have access to highly-crafted beauty, and they purposefully focused in using materials of lower value to make their pieces more accessible to all. This stunning necklace is a perfect example of the notion, featuring a bold, beautifully carved, French horn centerpiece depicting a sprouting sunflower. A gorgeous angelskin coral drop delicately dangles from the pendant, highlighting its hand-patinaed green hues, and complimenting the other coral and bone beads, all strung on its original 34 inch long silk cord in forest green, with knots to hold the beads in place. This antique necklace, dating to the 1880-1890s, was designed (and it is signed) by Elizabeth Bonté, who was a Paris-based Art Nouveau jeweller. Often inspired by the work of René Lalique, Bonté specialized in the use of horn and continued working in the Art Nouveau style as late as the 1930s. The centerpiece sunflower of this necklace measures about 2 and 3/4 inches long by 2 and 1/4 inches at its widest point, with a 17 inch long strand on each side (34" total).

A wonderful and rare example of Art Nouveau jewelry that has stand the test of time!

Inventory # P09203